(Source: Association of American Railroads press release, August 8, 2018)

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Association of American Railroads (AAR) today reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending August 4, 2018.

For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 570,995 carloads and intermodal units, up 4.2 percent compared with the same week last year.

Total carloads for the week ending August 4 were 279,907 carloads, up 3 percent compared with the same week in 2017, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 291,088 containers and trailers, up 5.4 percent compared to 2017.

Eight of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2017. They included grain, up 4,204 carloads, to 25,060; petroleum and petroleum products, up 1,456 carloads, to 10,837; and motor vehicles and parts, up 1,111 carloads, to 16,709. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2017 were miscellaneous carloads, down 1,039 carloads, to 10,227; and nonmetallic minerals, down 508 carloads, to 38,410.

For the first 31 weeks of 2018, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 8,075,614 carloads, up 1.6 percent from the same point last year; and 8,552,787 intermodal units, up 6.1 percent from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first 31 weeks of 2018 was 16,628,401 carloads and intermodal units, an increase of 3.9 percent compared to last year.

North American rail volume for the week ending August 4, 2018, on 12 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 385,427 carloads, up 5.1 percent compared with the same week last year, and 383,689 intermodal units, up 5.4 percent compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 769,116 carloads and intermodal units, up 5.3 percent. North American rail volume for the first 31 weeks of 2018 was 22,412,208 carloads and intermodal units, up 3.6 percent compared with 2017.

Canadian railroads reported 84,472 carloads for the week, up 10.6 percent, and 73,212 intermodal units, up 5.8 percent compared with the same week in 2017. For the first 31 weeks of 2018, Canadian railroads reported cumulative rail traffic volume of 4,593,177 carloads, containers and trailers, up 3.9 percent.

Mexican railroads reported 21,048 carloads for the week, up 14.8 percent compared with the same week last year, and 19,389 intermodal units, up 4.1 percent. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 31 weeks of 2018 was 1,190,630 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers.